Half to j



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. C. WONAOOTT.

VEHICLE AXLE. No. 320,201. Patented June 16, 1885.

FIG-I.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. WONACOTT.

VEHICLE AXLE. 4

Patented June 16, 1885.

FlG .'3.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EETEE;

CHARLES XVONACOTT, OF BISHOP CREEK, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO J. H. BULPlT, OF SAME PLACE.

-VEHlCLE-AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,201, dated June 16, 1885. w Application men Oetoher 31, 1884. so model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES WoNAoo'rr, of Bishop Creek, Inyo county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in a Vehicle-Axle; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the axles or running-gear of vehicles.

It consists, first, in a supplemental sleeve, which is fitted upon the spindle so that it re ceives all the wear, and may be removed and replaced by a new one when worn out.

It also consists in a peculiar construction of the inner end and shoulder against which the box in the wheel-hub turns, in a disk secured to the inner end of the spindle, fitting against a flange upon the inner end of the box within the end of the hub, and in a means of discharging any sand or dirt which may work itself inside this disk.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the end of an axle with the spindle, the supplemental sleeve, sand-box, and the wheel-hub in place. Fig. 2 is an exterior perspective view of the spindle, with its supplemental sleeve, showing the shoulder and disk. Fig. 3 isan exterior view of the inner end of the hub,with the flange upon the box,and showing the formation of the dust or sand protector.

A is the main portion of the vehicle-axle, and B is the end or spindle upon which the wheel is usually fitted. This portion is subjected to considerable wear, and when the spindles become too much worn new ones must be purchased, the old ones being cut off and the new ones welded upon the main portion of the axle, thus entailing considerable expense. To avoid this I fit the sleeve G upon the exterior spindle, B, so that it entirely incloses the spindle, this sleeve forming thejournal upon which the box within the hub turns. This sleeve may be secured in various ways;

but I have found a very suitable means to be by enlarging the inner end of the spindle, forming a screw-thread upon it, which is fitted by a similar thread within this sleeve, as shown at D. This screw would have a right-hand thread for those spindles upon the right-hand side of the vehicle and a lefthand thread for those upon the left side, so that there would be no danger of its becoming unscrewed by any friction ofthe parts. This screw-threaded portion of the spindle may be made considerably larger in diameter than the remainder of the spindle, so as to have sufficient strength to prevent any dangerof breakage at this point.

Upon the inner end of the sleeve is formed a shoulder, E, against which a corresponding shoulder in the box within the wheel will turn. The enlargement forming this shoulder serves as a chamber within which the screw-thread 6 The hub of the wheel is chambered, as shown at H, so that this disk fits within the chamber and its edges turn against the bottom of the chamber. The box within the wheel has a flange, I, upon its inner end forming an annular prejecting ring in the chamber within the wheel-hub, and the edges of the disk fit over this projecting flange, so as to make a close joint. The shoulder on the sleeve before described fits against the corresponding shoulder in the box, which is situated a short distance farther inside the hub from the flange I. This device is intended to keep out most of the sand and dirt which might work into this portion of the wheel, and any portion which passes into it beyond the disk will be 0 directed by the convex flange I, so that it will fall down upon the tapering portion of the sleeve, before described as extending inward from the shoulder, and this will carry it out ward, so that it-will eventually fall out of the 5 hub without being carried in upon the bean ing-surface.

f is the exterior nut, which screws upon the end of the spindle B, and it has a shoulder,

K, which fits against the end of the sleeve G when the nut is screwed to its proper place, thus acting as a lock-nut, to keep the sleeve in at a very much less cost.

its proper place and prevent its being turned off until the nut has been removed. By this construction I am enabled to replace the worn parts withoutcutting or renewing the axle, and The sleeve upon the spindle has the usual longitudinal grooves or channel in one side for the distribution of the lubricant, and this groove serves to receive the endof a pipe-tongs or a wrench, by which the sleeve may be removed or put in place when ever necessary. The action of this wrench or tongs will be similar to that of an ordinary gas-pipe wrench or tongs, and by introducing the edge of the tongs into this groove or channel the surface of the sleeve will not be roughened or injured.

This device is especially useful for vehicles in which the axles are subjected to considerable wear, as in the case of sulky-plows, as the sleeves may be easily replaced by new ones whenever they are Worn.

Having thus described my invention, what :I claim as 118W, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- V V 1. In a vehicle'axle, the combination, with a spindlehaving its interior end enlarged and screw-threaded, of an exterior sleeve provided with a corresponding enlargement or hub, against which the hub of the wheel may turn, and having an interior-threaded end adapted to engage the threads on the spindle, substan tially as herein described.

2. In a vehicle-axle, a spindle having an enlarged screw-threaded portion "at the inner end, an exterior sleeve fitting said spindle,

having a corresponding enlargement at its inner end, the interior of which is screwthreaded to fit the screw upon the spindle the exterior forming a shoulder, and tapering inwardly from the shoulder, substantially as herein described.

3. In a vehicle-axle, vthe concavoconvex disksecured to the inner end of the spindle, a sleeve surrounding the spindle, having a shoulder upon its inner end and made tapering inwardly from said shoulder, together with a wheel-hub having a box fittingagainst the shoulder of the sleeve, and provided with a projecting vertical flange which fits Within the disk upon the axle, while the exterior portion of the hub projects over and beyond the disk, substantially as herein described.

4. A vehicleaxle having a spindle the interior end of which is enlarged and screwthreaded, an exterior sleeve fitting the spindle, having an enlargement at its interior end to form a collar, and screw threaded t0 fit the spindle, together with the exterior nut screwing upon the end of the spindle and having a shoulder which braces against the outer end of 60 V 4 the sleeve, s'ubstantially as herein described. In witness I have hereunto set my hand, CHARLES WON AGOTT.- Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG, S. H. NoURsE. 

